Page 26 - 2025-2026 Travel Guide to California

ROAD TRIPS
BY JOHN FLINN
HIGHWAYS TO PARADISE
California's thrilling drives and iconic highways await!
HIGHWAY 1
Whether you drive ten miles or the
full thousand, Highway 1 will
provide twists and turns and views
of the coast that will take your
breath away, such as this one in
Santa Cruz County, above.
California is a land of supersized dis-
tances, jumbo landscapes and
big-gulp vistas, and the best way to
see it all is on a road trip, or, better yet, a
series of road trips. Here are a few favorites.
ways, it is a touch over 1,000 miles. The
sights are so numerous one can barely
scratch the surface.
A few tips: Allow more time than you
think you need. Besides the frequent diver-
sions, the road is so winding in places it’s
hard to average more than 30 miles per
hour. If you’re prone to carsickness, this
isn’t the trip for you. Keep your gas tank
full, and your bladder empty.
Up the Coast
Northern Californians call it “Highway 1”
and Southern Californians call it the “Pacific
Coast Highway,” but there’s no doubt that the
road that hugs the state’s remarkable coast-
line, often close enough to feel the salt spray,
offers one of the world’s classic driving trips.
From sun-splashed Southern California
beaches to the misty redwood forests near
the Oregon border, the journey, which
includes a few stretches on other high-
The Wild West
Highway 395 is one of California's most
iconic drives. Hugging the state’s eastern
border, and the 264-mile stretch of high
desert from Reno to Lone Pine, the road
passes tumbleweeds, swinging-door saloons
OUR TRAVEL PASSPORT, COURTESY OF VISIT OXNARD. OPPOSITE:PUNG/SHUTTERSTOCK; MIN CHIU/SHUTTERSTOCK; TREKANDSHOOT/SHUTTERSTOCK
24 2025-26 TRAVEL GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA